The present invention relates to gas turbine engines, more particularly, to sump apparatus for such engines.
A gas turbine engine includes one or more shafts which are mounted for rotation in several bearings, usually of the rolling-element type. The bearings are enclosed in enclosures called “sumps” which are pressurized and provided with an oil flow for lubrication and cooling.
The sump must provide multiple functions, including physical mounting of the bearing races, location of oil and air seals, supply of lubricating oil to the bearings, scavenging spent oil, pressurization of the sump, and ventilation.
One problem with prior art sump housings is that they are built up from individual components such as housings and separate tubes for the different functions. This requires high piece part count (or reduction in features) with multiple joining methods resulting in high cost and weight as well as durability and packaging challenges.